Fabric treating apparatus



March 11, 1958 s. COHN ETAL 2,826,167

FABRIC TREATING APPARATUS Original Filed Apiil so. 1955 INVENTORS. Samuel Coh'n BY Jules G.Wc1lrer ATTORN S United States Patent FABRIC TREATING APPARATUS Samuel Cohn, New York, N. Y., and Jules G. Walter, deceased, late of Manhasset, N. Y., by Ethel Margaret Walter, executrix, Manhasset, N. Y., assignors to Sam coe Holding Corporation, Woodside, N. 11., a corporation of New York Continuation of application Serial No. 352,213, April 30, gggCsglThis application August 19, 1955, Serial No.

3 Claims. (Cl. 118--34) This application is a continuation of our copending application Ser. No. 352,213, filed April 30, 1953 now abandoned, which is in turn a continuation of our copending application Ser. No. 257,468, filed November 21, 1951 now abandoned, said application Ser. No. 352,213 also being directed, in part at least, to subject matter disclosed in application Ser. No. 257,468 but divisible therefrom. Application Ser. No. 257,468 is a division of our copending original application Ser. No. 700,536, filed October 1, 1946 and now Patent No. 2,637,991, issued May 12, 1953.

Our original application fully discloses a method and apparatus for impregnating, drying and otherwise conditioning textile fabric, and particularly tubular textile fabric strips, and especially so treating a plurality of such fabric strips simultaneously. In that application the claims are directed primarily to the speed regulating features of the apparatus. In our copending divisional application, the disclosure is substantially similar to that of the original application but the claims are directed primarily to certain features of the dryer and to a variable speed drive pulley. In the present application we are concerned primarily with the initial feeding into the apparatus of the fabric and with the impregnation of the fabric. Additionally, but perhaps secondarily, we are concerned in this application with the controlling'of the withdrawal of the fabric from the impregnating portion of the system.

Among the principal objects of the present invention are to provide an improved method and apparatus for extracting Water from textile fabric, especially in tubular form, for impregnating such fabric, and for so treating a plurality of strips of such fabric simultaneously. Additionally it is an object of the invention to provide for the accommodation in our treating method and apparatus of a plurality of fabric strips of different characteristics.

Further objects of our invention will appear from the following detailed description of one form of apparatus by which our treating method may be carried out illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the fabric impregnating portion of the apparatus; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a variable speed pulley which forms part of the apparatus which controls the rate of travel of the fabric therethrough.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a pair of baskets 10, 11 contain two tubular fabric strips A and B usually wet from a previous washing. The fabric strips A and B are taken from the baskets, passed up through stationary poteyes 12 and 13 and thence over internal propeller mechanisms 14 and 15 supported and driven by side rolls 16, 17. The strips then pass, while under longitudinal tension and transverse distension, around guide rolls 18, 19, respectively, and through squeeze rolls 20, 21 which ice extract excess water after which they may pass through solution impregnation system 22 (see Figs. 2 and 3), and thence through squeeze rolls 23, 24 which remove excess chemicals. In the squeeze rolls 20, 21 the fabric strips are converged into flat distended form, the excess water being squeezed out of the fabric. Similarly in the squeeze rolls 23, 24 the fabric is in flat form and the rolling pressure of these rolls may be set to leave any desired liquid content in the fabric strips, either more or less, though preferably more than the content therein upon delivery from squeeze rolls 20, 21.

The cloth now in wrinkle-free fiat condition may be folded out into trucks, wound upon a mandrel preparatory to passing through another subsequent operation such as drying, or it may, in its wrinkle-free flat condition, continuously pass under speed control dancer roll 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) and thence directly to the first inlet roll 26 of a dryer D. The fabric in entering the dryer D passes over roll 26 at a speed automatically controlled as hereinafter explained.

The relative adjustment of the rates of feed of the fabric strips is attained by variation of the amount of each fed by the propellers 14, 15 (Figs. 1 and 2). During the running of the machine the relative speeds of propeller drive rollers 16, 17 may be varied at will when necessary to accommodate various running characteristics of anystyle or type of fabric as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

In the propeller structure 14 the drive rolls 16 and supporting brackets 53a are adjustable by means of a supporting screw rod 52a. The rolls 17 and supporting brackets 53b of propeller structure 15 are separately and independently adjustable by means of a supporting screw rod 52b. Supporting brackets 53a, 53b slide freely on shafts 51a, 51b when moved by threaded rods 52a, 52b respectively. The threaded rods 52a, 52b are turned by the handwheels 54a, 54b which separately and independently adjust the width of each propeller. This independent adjustability of propellers permits the accommodation of different size fabric strips by the apparatus.

The preferable impregnating treatment before drying carries the strips through a solution 5? in pan 55 passing them from the squeeze rolls 20, 21 under a spaced pair of solution rolls 56, 57 and then between squeeze rolls 23, 24. The solution 59 is maintained at a low level L (Fig. 3) below the point at which the strips A, B come into contact with the roll 56 so that the two layers of fabric of each strip are pressed against each other and against the roll surface before the fabric is carried down into the solution on the surface of the roll. Any air or gas trapped between the roll surface and fabric and between the layers of each strip is thus released through the fabric openings before they are closed by the solution and bubbling or ballooning of the wetted fabric is obviated and the feed is kept uniform with smooth even passing of the fabric through the solution and the squeeze rolls 23, 24. Additionally, because of the pressure of one layer of fabric of each strip upon the other and the pressure of both against the surface of roll 56, the stitches of the fabric are compressed. When the fabric strips leave roll 56 there is a certain expansion of the stitches which effects a more thorough absorption by the fabric of the impregnating solution. The improved absorption by the fabric of impregnating solution by reason of this treatment is somewhat comparable to the improved absorption characteristic lent a sponge by compressing it beneath the surface of a solution which it is to absorb. Upon contacting roll 57 the stitches are again compressed and some of the solution squeezed out. The final elimination of solution from the fabric is of course accomplished subsequently by squeeze rolls 23 and 24.

aeaamv Between squeeze rolls 23, 24- and the dryer feed roll 26, the control dancer 25 rests on both fabric strips A, B and through speed control mechanism, designated generally at 60 (Fig. 2) varies the speed of the roll 26 to maintain a desired rate of feed of roll 26 with respect to the rate of feed from the squeeze rolls 23, 2d. The drive of the inlet roll 26 is taken from the same main drive shaft 61 which drives the balance of the processing apparatus in advance of this inlet roll. The first step of this inlet roll drive is a large sprocket 62 mounted on shaft 61. Sprocket 62, by means of a chain 625:, drives a smaller sprocket 63 mounted for free rotation upon fixed shaft 64. A pulley 65 is attached to sprocket 63 and hence is also driven by chain 61a.

A V-belt 55 from pulley 65 drives to one of the grooves in a T-pulley 67 mounted on floating stud shaft 75. The T-pulley 67 (as fully described in our aforemed tioned copending applications) is illustrated in Pig. 4 and comprises, briefly, a pair of spaced dis.-.s 67a and 67b fixed to a tubular bearing (not shown) which is freely rotatable n floating stud shaft 75 and a central double disk 67c freely movable on the tubular bearing. Double disk 67c is movable longitudinally of the tubular bearing whereby the effective pitch diameters of the pulley grooves formed by fixed disk 6% and one end of double disk 67c by fixed disk 67b and the oti er end of double disk 6'70 may be varied. As previously mentioned, V-ljfili 66 drives to one of the pulley grooves. The other groove in T-pulley 6'7 accommodates a second V-belt 68 which drives to V-belt pulley b9 which, in turn, is fastened to another sprocket 7b, the pulley d9 sprocket "7'9 having suitable connection so that the assembly 69 and 7%? may revolve freely around a fixed stud 711. A chain 72 drives from sprocket 7t? to sprocket 73 fixed on the same shaft that supports and drives the inlet roll 26.

In operation, when the strips A, B have a tendency to slacken, the dancer roll 25 follows the cloth down. The arm Feb carrying T-pulley 67 is an integral part of a bell crank lever the other arm '74- of which carries dancer roll 25. The bell crank is pivotally supported by a fixed stud 74a. l-lcnce, as roll 25 drops, the bell crank lever moves in a counterclockwise direction and changes the center distance between pulley shafts 75, F1 and 64 and therefore increases the speed of sprocket 70 because the pitch diameter of driving belt as on pulley 6'7 shrinks and the pitch diameter of driven belt 3 on said pulley increases. This causes inlet roll 26 to speed up in accordance with the demand of the lowering of dancer rol 25. Conversely, the lifting of the dancer roll 25 reverses this action and slows down inlet roll 26.

The impregnating squeeze rolls 24), 221 and are driven respectively by chains 78, 79 extending from their drive shafts to a common pulley on main drive shaft 61.

The repelling rive rolls id, l7 are driven from the main shaft 61 through double pulley 76 and belts 77a and 71%. Belt 77:! drives the shaft 51a through a standard variable pitch, variable speed drive pulley 3% connected to the shaft Ella by gearing 31a. The shaft 51:; through suitable gearing drives the rolls to. The rolls 17 are separately driven by the belt 771; which drives the shaft 53th through a standard variable pitch, variable speed drive pulley tltlb connected to the shaft 51 by gearing 81b, A pair of belt take-up devices C of conventional form are provided to adjust independently the effective lengths of drive belts 77a and 77b whereby the driving speeds of pulleys (Ella and Sill), respectively, may be varied independently of one another. When the fabric passes directly into another subsequent operation such as the dryer D, the dancer roll control 25, 6t varies the speed of the roll 26 to compensate for variations in the material as it passes through the preliminary treatment in advance of the subsequent treatment. The dancer roll 25 can only drop as far as permitted by the tension of either strip A or B Whichever feeds the slower and therefore the more taut. Therefore, the entrance roll 2s will only feed at a rate corresponding to the demand of this slower strip and the excess of feed of the faster strip appears as slack at the dancer roll 25, which slack when it develops and per sei cs as a guide to the operator to just drive belt T712 or 72-h and hence the corresponding pcllor l4, 35' to feed at a slower rate. Or conversely the propeller of the slower strip may be adjusted to feed the material at a faster rate. The cloth strips are thus fed to the dryer or other type machine on roll 26 at separately controlled rates.

A u motor 3-3, Fig. 2, has located on its drive shaft variable pitch pulley 39 which drives through elt 84 a drive pulley 83 mounted on main drive shaft 6 The pitch diameter of pulley 39 may be varied by turning a handwheel 86 which moves the motor 83 toward and away from shaft 51 resulting in the speed change required.

These above controls accommodate the apparatus to the handling of widely variable types of fabrics and enable the operator to quickly adjust the machine to varia tions occurring during the running of the strips and without interruption of the operation. The system is adaptable to the needs of different fabrics and gives them a smooth regular texture. it is particularly advantageous with knitted fabrics requiring careful guiding "and treating to attain a uniform and attractive appearance and finish of the goods.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for treating a plurality of separate continuous lengths of textile fabrics in wet tubular form which comprises a plurality of independently adjustable means, one for each length of fabric, for separately and substantially simultaneously distending each length transversely to flattened tubular form and to a separately predetermined width, each of said means including means for feeding longitudinally thereof the length of fabric which it distends at a speed predeterminable independently of the speed of any other length of fabric, a first common pair of squeeze rolls which are of such length that they are adapted to receive side by side therebetwe u all lengths of fabrics from said plurality of separate distending and feeding means to apply pressure to said lengths of textile fabric to press one layer of each against the other layer thereof and to thereby squeeze any excess water out of them, a second common pair of squeeze rolls adapted to receive side-by-side therebetween all lengths of fabric after they leave said first pair of squeeze rolls, and means located between said pairs of squeeze rolls for applying a fabric treating liquid to all the lengths of fabric while they are passing from. said first common pair of squeeze rolls to said second common pair of squeeze rolls, said second common pair of squeeze rolls pressing the la"ers of each length of fabric together to regulate the liquid content thereof, said fabric treating liquid applying means comprising a common pan for holding a quantity of fabric treating liquid and a common pair of rolls spaced lengthwise of said pan and each extending transversely thereof and both of said rolls being positioned to extend partially into a quantity of fabric treating liquid held in said pan, the lengths of fabric being all adapted to pass beneath both of said rolls, the submergiug roll closest the first set of squeeze rolls being so positioned with respect thereto that the lengths of fabric engage it after leaving said first set of squeeze rolls above the level of the liquid in the pan and the other submerging roll being so positioned with respect to the second pair of squeeze rolls that the lengths of fabric in leaving it and passing to said second pair of squeeze rolls all do so at a point above the level of the liquid in the pan.

2. Apparatus for treating a plurality of separate con tinuous lengths of textile fabrics in wet tubular form which comprises a plurality of independently adjustable means, one for each length of fabric, for separately and substantially simultaneously distcndiug each length of fabric transversely to flattened tubular form and to a sepauately predeterminable width, each of said means including means for feeding longitudinally thereof the length of fabric which it distends at a speed predeterminable independently of the speed of any other length, and a first common pair of squeeze rolls which are of such length that they are adapted to receive side by side therebetween all lengths of fabric from said separate distending and feeding means to apply pressure to said lengths of fabric to press one layer of each against the other layer thereof to thereby squeeze any excess water out of them, said plurality of independently adjustable means being located at different spatial positions relative to said common pair of squeeze rolls each at a sufficient distance away from any one of the others to prevent interference therebetween under any condition of adjustment of all, whereby 'a plurality of fabrics having distended widths totaling the width of said squeeze rolls may be treated.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 which includes a second common pair of squeeze rolls adapted to receive side by side therebetween all lengths of fabric after they leave the first pair of squeeze rolls, and means located between said pairs of squeeze rolls for applying a fabric treating liquid to all lengths of fabric while they are passing from said first common pair of squeeze rolls to said second common pair of squeeze rolls, said second common pair of squeeze rolls pressing the layers of each length of fabric together to regulate the liquid content thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,979,818 Baker Nov. 6, 1934 2,040,105 Ritzert May 12, 1936 2,173,998 Carnp et al. Sept. 26, 1939 2,467,991 Stephens Apr. 19, 1949 2,637,991 Cohn et a1. May 12, 1953 

